A Department of Agriculture vet has urged farmers concerned about TB in local deer to bring the carcase to be tested for the disease.
New superintending veterinary inspector for Tipperary Martin Ryan was speaking to farmers about bovine TB at the north Tipperary Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) AGM on Monday.
According to the Department of Agriculture, there is currently no evidence that deer play a significant role in the spread of TB to cattle except for Wicklow and certain other areas.
Although Ryan advised against illegally hunting deer, he said if someone found a dead deer that they suspect might have lesions, the organs can be tested at a regional veterinary lab.
“I might be unorthodox, but I would be very willing, anyone that could give me plucks or livers, we’ll get them collected and we’ll get them checked,” he said.
“If we want to say that deer have TB, we have to prove it.”
Badger cull
According to Department data, the in-species spread of TB is more common than between species, so cattle-to-cattle infection is almost five times greater than badger to cattle infection.
Ryan added that a badger cull would return if national TB numbers got much worse. Instead, the Department will continue to focus on badger vaccinations.
“The vaccination is an Irish solution to an Irish problem,” he said.
“Culling without evidence is a problem because if you have healthy badgers here, they stop the infected badgers coming in. But if you go and kill those healthy badgers, the sick badgers come in. That’s a simple way of explaining recrudescence.”
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A Department of Agriculture vet has urged farmers concerned about TB in local deer to bring the carcase to be tested for the disease.
New superintending veterinary inspector for Tipperary Martin Ryan was speaking to farmers about bovine TB at the north Tipperary Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) AGM on Monday.
According to the Department of Agriculture, there is currently no evidence that deer play a significant role in the spread of TB to cattle except for Wicklow and certain other areas.
Although Ryan advised against illegally hunting deer, he said if someone found a dead deer that they suspect might have lesions, the organs can be tested at a regional veterinary lab.
“I might be unorthodox, but I would be very willing, anyone that could give me plucks or livers, we’ll get them collected and we’ll get them checked,” he said.
“If we want to say that deer have TB, we have to prove it.”
Badger cull
According to Department data, the in-species spread of TB is more common than between species, so cattle-to-cattle infection is almost five times greater than badger to cattle infection.
Ryan added that a badger cull would return if national TB numbers got much worse. Instead, the Department will continue to focus on badger vaccinations.
“The vaccination is an Irish solution to an Irish problem,” he said.
“Culling without evidence is a problem because if you have healthy badgers here, they stop the infected badgers coming in. But if you go and kill those healthy badgers, the sick badgers come in. That’s a simple way of explaining recrudescence.”
Read more
Farmers divided over TB controls, but united on tackling deer
Cattle dealers play a role in TB spread - McCormack
Deer overpopulation a ‘danger’ in west Cork
Chief vet: additional measures needed to prevent TB spread
TB lesions found in 2,500 cattle thought TB-free in 2023
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